First Day Jitters
by knittingeek
Summary: Kate gets first day jitters.  Another family story.


_**A/N: This is for those of you who asked for another family story. It's not a sequel.**_

They were standing in the loft in front of the door, ready to go when Kate put her hand on Rick's chest and said "I can't do this."

"Yes, you can."

"No Rick, I don't think I can."

"Kate, I'm _sure_ you can."

"I think I'm going to be sick." She raked her hand through her shoulder length curls and placed a hand over her stomach.

He started laughing and went over to her and placed a kiss on her forehead and wrapped his arms around her. "Kate, you'll be fine."

"It's too hard."

"Kate, you've done much harder things in your life, besides, I did it." He continued to hold her tight as she talked into his chest.

"That's different."

"Why?"

"Because, it was." He just chuckled and held her close, placing kisses in her hair.

"Ok, we won't do it.

She picked her head up from his chest and looked at him, eyes all wet. "We won't?"

"Nope." He said as he wiped away a stray tear.

"Really?"

"If you really don't want to then we won't."

"So, what _will_ we do?" She looked at him slightly confused.

We'll figure that out _after_ you tell her.

"What? Why do _I_ have to tell her?" She pulled away from him but he kept his hands on her arms.

"That's the deal."

"That is _so_ not fair Rick."

Just then they heard little feet scrambling across the floor upstairs and a loud high pitched "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, I'm ready!" Josie barreled down the stairs in her navy and green plaid skort, white blouse and navy sweater, her long brown curls in ponytails with blue ribbons. On her feet were white ruffled socks and blue Maryjane shoes. She was dragging her backpack behind her, clunking it on every step. She stopped short when she reached the bottom of the stairs and Rick picked her up in one big swooping hug.

"Here's my beautiful baby girl. All ready for your first day of Kindergarten?"

"Yes, Yes, Yes…let's go _**NOOOW**_" She squealed wiggling in his arms.

He turned her around to see her mother, and her smile turned to concern immediately.

"Mommy, are you crying?" She looked back at her father and placed her little hands on his cheeks, her bright blue eyes opened wide, her face right in his "Daddy, did you make Mommy sad?"

He chuckled, his daughter knew him well. "No, Josie" he whispered to her now "I think she is sad because she is going to miss you when you go to school."

She turned back around to look at her mother and put her arms out to her. Kate reached for her and wrapped her into a big hug. Josie hugged her tight wrapping her arms around her mother's neck and her little legs around her waist. Kate just held her for what felt like hours. She took a deep breath and Josie moved away from the hug and now placed both of her hands on her mother's face and rubbed her nose on Kate's then giggled. "I love you Mommy." Kate kissed her on her cheeks and said "I love you too Miss Johanna Katherine Castle so much, so very, very much" Josie hugged her again and then wiggled out of her mother's arms.

Kate bent down to straighten up her daughter's blouse and Josie grabbed her mother's hands and placed kisses in each palm and said "Put them in your pocket Mommy and when you miss me you can take them out."

Kate smiled at her daughter, remembering the first time she had gone to work when Josie was younger and telling her the same thing. It was something her mom had always done for her when she was little. Kate placed Josie's kisses in her jacket pocket and then took Josie's hands and placed kisses on her palms. Josie put her kisses in her skort pocket, then grabbed her parents' hands and pulling them towards the door, said "Let's go, let's go, let's goooo!"

Rick grabbed Josie's pink polka dot backpack and slung it over his shoulder and then reached over with his free hand and took Kate's face and turned her toward him and wiped away the tears and kissed her, then whispered in her ear as they walked out the door "I'm sure we can find something to keep ourselves occupied while she's at school" he waggled his eyebrows at her and Kate shook her head and rolled her eyes and then smiled at him. "Oh yes, I'm sure we can."

_**A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews, please let me know how you like this one. I have a few ideas for a sequel. **_


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